Endocrine and Skeletal Genetics Flashcards
What are the radiographic findings consistent w a classic non-deforming OI w blue sclerae dx
Wormian bones in skull, codfish vertebrae in adults, thin cortices (in extremities), osteopenia
What are the radiographic findings consistent w perinatal lethal OI
undermineralization, plaques of calcification in skull, platyspondyly (reduced space between the vertebral bodies in the spine), severely deformed extremities; broad, crumpled, bent femurs; small beaded ribs (pathognomonic)
What are the radiographic findings consistent w progressively deforming OI
Wormian bones in skull, codfish vertebrae and kyphoscoliosis, flared metaphyses (popcorn like appearance in childhood), bowing, thin cortices; thin ribs, severe osteoporosis
What are the radiographic findings consistent w common variable OI w normal sclerae
With or without Wormian bones in the skull; codfish vertebrae, thin cortices, protrusio acetabuli (displacement of the hip bone)
How is the dx of OI established? What type of testing is needed
heterozygous PV in COL1A1 (70%) or COL1A2 (30%)
concurrent gene testing (sequence analysis of both genes followed by del dup if no PV is identified)
What are the general features across all types of OI
classified into four types based on clinical presentation, radiographic features, FH, and natural hx
triangular face; scoliosis, early onset arthritis, non-inflammatory arthralgia, myofascial pain; easy bruising, mixed conductive and SNHL afflicts the majority of adults with OI, progressive postpubertal hearing loss is more typical, cognition is expected, gross motor development may be hindered
What are the clinical features associated w classic non-deforming OI w blue sclerae (OI type I)
blue sclerae, normal stature
femoral bowing at birth, fractures at birth or with diapering; fractures at a rate of a few to several per year and then decrease in frequency after puberty (usually heal normally w no deformity)
joint hypermobility, degenerative joint dz, dentinogenesis imperfecta, progressive hearing loss in ~50%
What are the clinical features associated w perinatal lethal OI (OI type II)
weight and length small for GA, sclerae are dark blue, connective tissue is extremely fragile, skull is large for the body size, extremities are short and bowed, hips are in a “frog leg” position
infants die in the immediate perinatal period; 60% die on the first day, 80% die within the first week; death usually results from pulmonary insufficiency related to the small thorax, rib fractures, or flail chest bc of unstable ribs
What are the clinical features associated w progressively deforming OI (OI type III)
apparent at birth; fractures in the newborn period, simply w handling the infant, # and severity of rib fractures lead to death from pulmonary failure in the first few weeks or months of life
most do not walk without assistance, severe bone fragility and marked bone deformity (have as many as 200 fractures and progressive deformity), growth is extremely delayed among the shortest individuals known
intellect is normal unless there have been intracerebral hemorrhages (extremely rare)
considerable heterogeneity is observed at the clinical level, relative macrocephaly and barrel chest deformity; hearing loss generally begins in the teenage yrs; basilar impression (direct mechanical blockage of normal CSF flow) causing posterior skull pain, C2 sensory deficit, tingling in the fourth and fifth digits, and numbness in the medial forearm; Lhermitte’s sign
What are the clinical features associated w common variable OI w normal sclerae (OI type IV)
mild short stature, dentinogenesis, adult onset hearing loss, normal to gray sclerae, basilar impression can occur
What is the life expectancy of pts w each type of OI
The severely affected neonates with perinatally lethal OI typically do not survive, with a significant proportion of infants dying within the first 48 hours. Aggressive life support can prolong survival but ultimately the most severe forms remain perinatally lethal.
Life expectancy for classic non-deforming OI and common variable OI is normal.
Progressively deforming OI is highly variable and life expectancy may be shortened by the presence of severe kyphoscoliosis with attendant restrictive pulmonary disease resulting in cardiac insufficiency.
What is the somatic mosaicism seen in OI
for dominant PVs has been recognized in perinatally lethal OI, progressively deforming OI, and common variable OI
16% of families; somatic mosaicism for variants that result in lethal OI can produce a mild OI phenotype
How would you differentiate between non-accidental trauma and OI
continued occurrence of fractures in a child who has been removed from a possibly abusive situation lends support to the possibility of COL1A1/2 OI
metaphyseal and rib fractures, thought to be virtually pathognomonic for child abuse, can rarely occur in OI; blue sclerae are often found in unaffected normal infants until about 18mo
lab testing usually is not needed to differentiate COL1A1/2 OI from non-accidental child abuse and, in some cases, the time required to perform such testing can delay proper disposition of child abuse cases
What tx is recommended for OI
bracing to try to stabilize progressively deforming limbs; use of internal robs or braces to stabilize deforming limbs in the milder subtypes; orthotics
mobility devices; fractures tx as the would in unaffected children and adults (period of immobility should be shortened as much as is practical)
screen for basilar impression so that timely surgical intervention can be planned; dental restorations; sx repair of the middle-ear bones, later hearing loss is tx w cochlear implantation
it is appropriate to offer parents the option of allowing the infant to expire without attempting heroic interventions such as assisted ventilation for lethal OI
What is the de novo rate for those w mild OI? progressively deforming/perinatal lethal OI?
mild- 60%; severe- 100%
overall rate of parental mosaicism is up to 16% in families with dominant COL1A1 or COL1A2 PVs
When can OI be detected prenatally when it is the perinatal lethal form? progressively deforming form?
Perinatally lethal OI. The bony abnormalities can first be seen by ultrasound examination by about 13 to 14 weeks’ gestation. By 16 weeks, femoral length is typically two or more weeks delayed, calvarial mineralization is essentially absent, and ribs generally have identified fractures.
Progressively deforming OI. Limb length generally begins to fall below the growth curve at about 17 to 18 weeks’ gestation; serial ultrasound examinations are required to confirm the trend.
What u/s signs may be indicative of OI prenatally?
reduced echogenicity of fetal bones, bowed, crumpled femurs, beaded ribs, evidence of fractures, and markedly diminished calvarial mineralization
What is the molecular pathogenesis of OI
COL1A1/2 encode alpha 1 and 2 chains of collagen type 1, forming most connective tissues and abundant in bone, cornea, dermis, and tendon
Gly-X-Y triplet, glycine must be in the third position to allow proper chain folding to occur
What are the disease mechanisms seen in OI
Quantitative changes, which lead to loss of function, tend to have a milder phenotype when compared to qualitative changes, which impart a dominant-negative effect.
Classic non-deforming OI (quantitative, loss of function):
Decreased production of structurally normal type I procollagen results in a reduction in the amount of bone that can be made, leading to brittle bones.
The vast majority of disease-causing variants are premature termination codons (e.g., frameshift, nonsense, splice site variants) that result in the reduction of COL1A1 mRNA by half.
Perinatally lethal OI, progressively deforming OI, and common variable OI (qualitative, gain of function):
Substitutions for glycine resulting in additional post-translation modification that prevents secretion of the assembled trimers.
Small in-frame deletions or duplications of single amino acids or Gly-X-Y triplets and exon-skipping events may disrupt trimer assembly.
Diminished amount of type I procollagen is secreted.
Clinical consequence is influenced by the position of the substituted glycine, the chain in which the substitution occurs, and the nature of the substituting amino acid.
Pathogenic variants closer to the 5’ end of the protein are likely to result in milder clinical phenotypes
How is the dx of achondroplasia established
can be established on the basis of clinical and radiographic features
those w typical findings generally do not need molecular confirmation of the dx, although confirmation may aid in receiving new txs
What molecular testing should be used for dx of achondroplasia
targeted analysis for two common PVs: p.Gly380Arg (c.1138G>A, c.1138G>C) which are GOF
can also do a multigene panel
What are the clinical features associated w achondroplasia
short stature caused by rhizomelic shortening of the limbs, macrocephaly, characteristic facies (Frontal bossing and midface retrusion), exaggerated lumbar lordosis, limitation of elbow extension and rotation, genu varum (knock knees), brachydactyly, and trident appearance of the hands. Excess mobility of the knees, hips, and most other joints is common
obesity is a major problem, can aggravate the morbidity associated w lumbar stenosis
mild to moderate hypotonia, difficulty in supporting their heads bc of both hypotonia and large head size; snowplowing (using head and feet to leverage movement); conductive hearing loss (40%)
some infants die in the first yr of life from complications related to the craniocervical junction; small chest w smaller lung volumes and restrictive pulmonary dz; obstructive sleep apnea
bowing of the lower legs, kyphosis in 90-95%; spinal stenosis, joint laxity in childhood (most joints are hypermobile)
What is the prognosis of achondroplasia
life expectancy appeared to be decreased by ~10yrs
What are the tx’s for achondroplasia
hydrocephalus: referral to a neurosurgeon; if there is a clear indication of symptomatic compression, urgent referral to a pediatric neurosurgeon for decompression sx should be initiated
obstructive sleep apnea: adenotonsillectomy, positive airway pressure, trach (rare, extreme), weight reduction
middle ear dysfunction: aggressive management of frequent middle ear infections, long-lasting tubes
varus deformity: orthopedic sx
kyphosis: improves significantly or resolves in the majority of children, bracing is usually sufficient, spinal sx may be necessary
spinal stenosis: urgent sx referral is appropriate
adaptive needs: due to short stature, environmental modifications are necessary; most children should have a 504 plan